BATON ROUGE – Quentin Thomas' season in the sun is going to have to wait a year.

The junior defensive tackle from Breaux Bridge had been LSU's No. 1 defensive tackle since last spring and was hotly anticipating the 2014 season.

"It's great actually," Thomas said during an interview last Monday when asked about starting after three years as a backup. "I've been waiting for this for a long time. This is what I've been waiting for and working for. I can't wait for the season to start."

But on Wednesday at practice, Thomas suffered torn biceps and is expected to be out for the season, LSU's sports information office confirmed to multiple outlets on Friday. Thomas was not at practices on Thursday or on Friday at LSU's first day of full squad, contact workouts.

LSU coach Les Miles did not have any comment on Thomas on Thursday morning and closed practice entirely to reporters on Thursday afternoon. Miles did confirm on Friday that Thomas was injured.

"It's a shame," said Breaux Bridge High coach Paul Broussard, whom Thomas started for at defensive tackle from 2008-10. "He had waited for this opportunity. He's such a good kid. This is a tough thing to happen, but he'll be back."

Players in Thomas' situation usually receive a sixth year of eligibility, which would give Thomas 2015 and '16 for his junior and senior seasons. He was red shirted in the 2011 season as the Tigers had Michael Brockers, Bennie Logan, Josh Downs and Ego Ferguson, among others, at the position.

"I've been waiting to play here forever and just to be able to line up out there and know I'm contributing to the team is a wonderful feeling," Thomas said before the injury.

Thomas played in only three games in 2012 and had a tackle against Idaho. He played in 11 games last season with one start and made nine tackles with two pass breakups and a fumble recovery. His first start was in the win over Iowa in the Outback Bowl when Ferguson mysteriously missed the trip for what was said to be medical reasons, though he began training for the NFL Draft days after the bowl game.

LSU lost both regular defensive tackle starters to the NFL Draft after last season as Ferguson and Anthony Johnson — both juniors — declared a year early. Ferguson was picked in the second round by Chicago. Johnson was not selected but is a free agent with Miami.

Redshirt Frank Herron (6-foot-5, 275 pounds) is likely the top candidate to replace Thomas at No. 1 defensive tackle beside sophomore Christian LaCouture, who has never started a game either. Herron, one of the top defensive linemen in the nation out of Memphis Central High in 2013, was redshirted last year, but he is coming off an impressive spring and recently caught Miles' eye.

"Frank Herron is a beast," Miles said Thursday. "Big, strong and fast man. I think he's learning and coming to play."

Herron was issued a misdemeanor summons last April for allegedly stealing a bicycle on campus.

Other candidates at defensive tackle include redshirt freshman Greg Gilmore (6-4, 311) of Hope Mills, N.C., and redshirt freshman Maquedius Bain (6-4, 308) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Herron was the No. 3 defensive end in the nation out of high school by Rivals.com. Gilmore was the No. 16 defensive tackle, and Bain was the No. 41 defensive tackle.

"He brings a high motor," Thomas said of Herron last week. "For a guy his size, I mean the dude can bring it. He pretty much doesn't get tired."

THE ELITE EIGHT: There was much mixing and matching of various players during the four days of dual practices at LSU Monday through Thursday, but one group remained the same. LSU practiced the same eight offensive linemen together every morning over that span.

The elite eight included the four returning starters — left tackle La'el Collins, left guard Vadal Alexander, center Elliott Porter and right tackle Jerald Hawkins. The other four were center Ethan Pocic, right guards Fehoko Fanaika and Evan Washington and tackle Jonah Austin.

"We kind of liked how we were going with those eight," Miles said. "Felt like we'd leave it that way. I think we will expand the depth because I think there's a number of guys there that might end up being in the starting five at different times."

NOTES: Top true freshman wide receiver Malachi Dupre did not practice Friday with a minor injury and is expected back Saturday. … LSU will hold full squad two-a-days for the first time Saturday at 8:50 a.m. and at 4:15 p.m. … LSU will hold media day and fan day on Sunday afternoon. Fan Day will be from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Maravich Assembly Center.